Speakers Explore First Amendment Issues at Upcoming Conference Andrea Haynes, Andy Wilson, and Alex Davis

Over the course of history, the First Amendment right of freedom of speech has played, and continues to play, a pivotal role in shaping higher education. Most recently, Colorado State University experienced the impact of freedom of speech on its campus. Editor in chief of the college newspaper, J. David McSwane, published a vulgar and offensive editorial. While the editorial violated the paper’s code of ethics, McSwane was protected by his constitutional First Amendment rights and currently continues his role as editor in chief. Needless to say, freedom of speech impacts campuses of higher education. Freedom of speech directly affects public institutions because of their constitutional relationship with students, but all institutions, regardless of size and student population, must address this First Amendment issue. Freedom of speech, while protected as an individual right, is intricately connected with the concepts of civility and community, and all institutions, including private institutions, continually address these two concepts. Civility and community, combined with freedom of speech, pose questions for student affairs practitioners: How do we balance civility with freedom of speech when we have competing ideologies and interests in the higher education community? What is our responsibility as student affairs practitioners to address the needs of students, faculty, and staff at our institutions within the institutional mission that we serve? While we may have the “right” to say whatever we like, at higher education institutions, we have the responsibility to engage in civil speech that builds community rather than tears it apart. The upcoming SACSA Annual Conference gives student affairs practitioners the opportunity to further explore the intersection of freedom of speech with civility and community. The Major Speakers’ Committee has invited two key speakers to lead us in exploring this new frontier: Greg Lukianoff and Gary Pavela. To begin, Greg Lukianoff will explore the relationship between civility, community, and freedom of speech on America’s campuses. Lukianoff currently serves as the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), an organization that focuses on upholding individual rights at American colleges and universities. Before becoming president of FIRE, Lukianoff used his degrees from American University and Stanford Law School to practice law in California. He later became FIRE’s first director of legal and public advocacy. A prolific author, Lukianoff has published articles in The Chronicle of Higher Education , Fraternal Law, Inside Higher Ed , and The Boston Globe . He also co-authored FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus and presently writes a blog for the Huffington Post. Along with his writings, Lukianoff contributes to the dialogue about freedom of speech in the academy by frequently serving as a commentator on local and national syndicated radio programs and national television shows. Furthermore, Lukianoff has testified before the U.S. Senate about free speech issues on America’s campuses. The second speaker, Gary Pavela, gives student affairs practitioners the opportunity to examine the role ethics plays in freedom of speech. Identified by the New York Times as an "authority on academic ethics," Pavela has been a consultant on law and policy issues at many leading universities, including Stanford University, the University of Michigan, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rutgers University, and Georgetown University, among many others. Pavela currently teaches in the honors program at the University of Maryland and writes law and policy newsletters to over 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. He also serves on the Board of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. Some of Pavela’s awards include “Outstanding Faculty Educator” by the Maryland Parents’ Association, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators' "Outstanding Contribution to Literature and Research" award, and the honor of becoming a “Fellow” of the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Fellows of the Association are identified as individuals who have "brought distinction to higher education and to the practice of law on behalf of colleges and universities across the nation." The Major Speakers’ Committee hopes you will explore civility by examining First Amendment issues during the upcoming SACSA Conference. By exploring issues of civility as they intersect with First Amendment issues, these dynamic speakers will stimulate your intellect and provoke reflection about the freedom of speech in higher education. Hopefully, conference participants will turn a receptive ear to them and their expertise on this important topic in higher education.